The Aust article today This is a small extract only Pauline...

The Aust article today
This is a small extract only

Pauline Hanson warms to media reform

One Nation has opened the door to supporting the Turnbull government’s media reform bill as Pauline Hanson’s party appeared to soften its position on an overhaul of laws originally designed for a pre-internet era.

The Turnbull government received a double boost with Senate crossbencher Nick Xenophon, who is trying to win support for the reforms from crossbenchers, saying he had made “progress” on a package of amendments to safeguard journalism jobs. The comments came as internet behemoth Amazon outbid British pay-TV operator Sky to win exclusive ATP tour tennis rights for Britain.

Responding to Senator Xenophon’s comments, a representative for One Nation told The Australian last night: “Media reform is still on the table. We haven’t dismissed it totally.
There would be a long list of amendments required for us to support it, but we’re still talking and will continue with that attitude going back into a sitting week next week.

“We’ve been speaking to some industry leaders. We want to sit down and speak with Mitch Fifield again, and establish where they are at with some of the ideas we have put forward.”
One Nation is seeking Queensland safeguards to allay concerns the party has about the removal of the two-out-of-three ownership rule, which prevents a person from controlling a newspaper, TV network and radio station in the same market.

Ahead of federal parliament returning next week, Senator Xenophon has been working on a package to safeguard journalism jobs. “I believe there has been progress,’’ Senator Xenophon said yesterday.

“I want there to be a position where there could be a package of measures ... that will mean more journalists on the ground, more camera operators, more local content and better coverage of news.

“If you have those reforms in place it makes it more palatable among those who’ve got concerns about the two-out-of-three rule going.”
The bill has been listed for debate on August 9. Ramping up political pressure on the opposition to vote for the changes, Senator Fifield said “Labor’s approach is ‘talk to the hand’, whereas crossbench, independent and minor party colleagues have and continue to engage constructively”.